Satirization without Representation

Lawrence Carter-Long weighs in on the Tropic Thunder controversy, explaining that it goes beyond political correctness and the "understandable condemendation of the word 'retard' " in an article at Disaboom, noting that Dreamworks failed to screen the movie to the right audiences.

Still, limiting the debate to charges of censorship or political correctness misses the point. The deeper issue isn’t about words, it’s satirization without representation.

Census figures put the disabled population of the United States at 1 in 5 -- that's 54 million, arguably our largest minority -- but culturally speaking disability is still considered a distant threat, something that happens to people segregated to telethons and fundraising campaigns. Only when our brothers and sisters return from wars missing limbs or our parents are debilitated by hip or knee replacements do we take notice. Seldom do we consider people who 'join the club' like Christopher Reeve could one day be us. Seldom do we consider that the children hurt by schoolyard taunts could be our own. People with disabilities are simply not yet recognized as a constituency to be reckoned with and, as such, have not been afforded the same concern as other groups.

Perhaps, that is, until now.

To date, over 200 groups have signed on to a letter of opposition and thousands turned out to protest the opening of the film across the nation August 13th. Media coverage has been unprecedented. Hollywood can ill afford to dismiss the views of disabled advocates and their allies now.

from the article, the author's bio:
Lawrence Carter-Long is the Director of Advocacy for the Disabilities Network of NYC (dnnyc.net) and the founder/curator of the disTHIS! Film Series: disability through a whole new lens (disthis.org). As a media critic/social commentator, he has been featured on CNN, the NEW YORK TIMES (Style section, above the fold!), NBC’s TODAY SHOW and NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, among others. He is a producer for the LARGEST MINORITY Radio Show on WBAI in NYC